Chapter 184: Devotion and Eight-Pack Abs
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“The duel begins.”
As soon as Elder Sacrificial Blade finished speaking, Cultivator No. 1 leaped far back, raised his hand, and shouted, “Wait a moment!”
Yu Zhao turned her gaze toward him.
“Fellow cultivator Yu Zhao, I know I’m no match for you, but I hope you can give me a chance to showcase myself on this platform,” he said. Seeing Yu Zhao remain silent, he clasped his hands together in a fawning gesture. “Please, Yu Zhao, I’ve traveled such a long way to be here. Just give me half an incense stick’s worth of time. Once I’m done, I’ll jump off this platform myself. I promise you won’t even need to lift a finger.”
The man’s sincerity was undeniable, and Yu Zhao’s curiosity about his intentions got the better of her. She nodded in agreement.
The man’s spirits lifted immediately. After tidying his robes, he introduced himself with great enthusiasm:
“Greetings, fellow cultivators. I am Ni Da Kun from the Western Regions, a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator specializing in blade techniques. I love drinking above all else; there’s no joy without wine for me. I am straightforward, devoted in matters of the heart, and, most importantly, I have eight-pack abs.
“Now, I will present my original blade technique. I hope you all enjoy it. Thank you!”
With that, Ni Da Kun shed the upper half of his robe, revealing a well-toned physique. He then launched into an energetic and dynamic blade performance.
The wind from his blade movements rustled Yu Zhao’s hair.
She stood there silently, unsure how to respond.
She had assumed Ni Da Kun wanted to demonstrate his strength to impress the world’s talents. She hadn’t expected this kind of display.
Yet, surprisingly, it seemed to work.
Several female cultivators in the audience were visibly smitten, their eyes glowing with admiration. Even a few burly male cultivators looked eager to try something similar.
Yu Zhao sighed softly and turned her attention elsewhere, just in time to see Zhou Jin Yue and Zhang Jun stepping onto the opposing duel platform. She scanned the team set to face Zhou Jin Yue and felt assured.
This round was in the bag for the Five Elements Dao Sect.
“My blade technique is complete. Thank you all for watching,” Ni Da Kun said, bowing with a hearty smile. True to his word, he jumped off the platform and shouted, “Yu Zhao wins! I concede!”
Elder Sacrificial Blade suppressed a laugh as he announced Yu Zhao’s advancement to the next round.
Despite her victory, Yu Zhao didn’t feel as triumphant as she expected.
After stepping down, Yao Wu Ji approached, clutching her stomach as she laughed uncontrollably, leaning on Yu Zhao’s shoulder for support.
“Yu Zhao, that was hilarious! You should’ve seen your face just now! It was adorable! Oh, Ni Da Kun is such a character! Eight-pack abs—how does he even come up with that?” Yao Wu Ji burst out.
Yu Zhao: …
Si Tu Xuan also found it amusing but dared not laugh too openly, afraid of offending Yu Zhao.
His restrained chuckles, however, irritated her even more than Yao Wu Ji’s unreserved laughter.
“Yu Zhao,” Yao Wu Ji said after regaining composure, her tone now serious. “I’ve decided. If I face you on the duel platform, you have to let me do an introduction too. I want them to remember my name—Yao Wu Ji!”
Yao Wu Ji’s earnestness caught Yu Zhao off guard. As a rogue cultivator, Yao Wu Ji deeply understood Ni Da Kun’s desire.
Opportunities to make a lasting impression were rare for rogue cultivators. Ni Da Kun didn’t want to miss his chance. Neither did Yao Wu Ji.
Yu Zhao smiled faintly. “You won’t need such a chance. I believe everyone will remember you soon enough.”
Yao Wu Ji wouldn’t need to resort to theatrics to leave her mark.
Her strength was her best credential.
Yao Wu Ji understood the meaning behind Yu Zhao’s words, and a smile that reached her eyes spread across her face.
“Yu Zhao, I’m starting to like you a little now.”
Si Tu Xuan’s smile froze instantly. His heart rang with alarms as he glanced at Yao Wu Ji, his eyes now filled with wariness and caution.
The sight of Yu Zhao and Yao Wu Ji chatting so comfortably was not only a thorn in Si Tu Xuan’s eyes but also deeply wounded Fang Cheng Lang, who had been secretly observing Yu Zhao from the shadows.
Even if Yao Wu Ji turned into ash, Fang Cheng Lang would still recognize her as the demonic woman who caused Cui Jue to lose all five senses. Yu Zhao clearly knew what Yao Wu Ji had done to them, yet she could laugh and talk with her so casually. Didn’t she want to avenge Cui Jue? Didn’t she want to avenge him?
Years of camaraderie as senior and junior disciples meant nothing to her!
Fang Cheng Lang’s eyes reddened, and grief etched itself deeply onto his face. A surge of indescribable sorrow and despair flooded his heart.
“Senior Brother? Eldest Senior Brother?”
Fang Cheng Lang’s unusual behavior immediately caught the attention of Lan Zi Yu and the others. They followed Fang Cheng Lang’s gaze, and realization dawned upon them.
It must be that their eldest senior brother was thinking about Yu Zhao again.
Even though he had vowed not to bother Yu Zhao, he merely shifted his attention to her from open observation to quiet concern. Now, seeing Yu Zhao conversing with someone else, he felt deeply troubled.
The group didn’t dwell on it, returning their focus to the duels on the stage.
Fang Cheng Lang’s lips moved slightly, but in the end, he refrained from exposing Yao Wu Ji’s identity. He decided to give Yu Zhao one last chance.
If Yu Zhao still couldn’t realize her mistake and chose to side with Yao Wu Ji, Fang Cheng Lang would no longer keep her secret.
What Yao Wu Ji had done to him and Cui Jue was something no amount of personal suffering could erase. He was determined to make Yao Wu Ji pay for her actions!
The sect competition and individual matches continued in an orderly fashion. Yao Wu Ji, Si Tu Xuan, Yao Ji, and Ten Thousand Slayer each took the stage in turn, advancing smoothly.
Notably, while Yao Wu Ji and Si Tu Xuan didn’t hold back during their matches, they refrained from using lethal moves. However, Yao Ji and Ten Thousand Slayer’s opponents weren’t as fortunate—one ended up maimed, the other dead. The pungent smell of blood filled the arena.
Just as Elder Sacrificial Blade predicted, the real danger lay ahead.
As soon as the first round of matches concluded, the second round began without giving the participants any respite.
However, when it was Yu Zhao’s turn to compete, the atmosphere shifted dramatically. It all began with contestant Ni Da Kun, who set a rather unusual precedent.
Everyone knew Yu Zhao wasn’t someone who enjoyed needless killing. As long as her opponent was polite, she would allow them half an incense stick’s worth of time to perform freely. After that, if they still refused to leave the stage, she would personally send them off.
Thus, the opponents who faced Yu Zhao started displaying bizarre behaviors. Some came up to perform talents, others announced lost-and-found items. The most outrageous incident occurred when a female cultivator confessed her love for Yu Zhao in public, even expressing her willingness to bear their love child. Yu Zhao sealed her lips with a spell and sent her off the stage.
Naturally, there were also malicious cultivators who tried to take advantage of the situation to launch sneak attacks against Yu Zhao. She didn’t even need to use the Fleeting Life Mirror. A single Heart Demon Illusion from her was enough to incapacitate them, leaving them to be carried away.
Her reputation once again spread across the arena.
On the high platform, Sect Master Ji Yuan’s laughter was almost loud enough to tear the roof off.
Of course, he was proud.
The two teams from the Five Elements Dao Sect had achieved consecutive victories in four rounds and were about to win their fifth, having faced opponents from two sects, four factions, and six great clans.
In the individual matches, Yu Zhao’s performance was equally dazzling, outshining all the other cultivators.
It could be said that the Five Elements Dao Sect was the biggest winner of this year’s cultivation competition.